Artist Playthrough #2 2025 - John Mellencamp

There are some artists that we are just compelled to listen to.  For me, John Cougar or John Cougar Mellencamp, or just John Mellencamp is that artist.  Growing up and living in the mid-west, I could relate to all of the themes that Mellencamp sang about.  I felt his joys.  I felt and he helped me to understand the pains and injustices of the times.  His music made me feel like an American and proud to be from the central states of the United States.  His music still resonates today and a new generation could learn a thing or two about being an American from Mellencamp.  

John Cougar 1979 - An early, raw sound for Cougar (Mellencamp) to introduce a sound that will gradually mature and find a strong purpose in the following years.  My top song from this album is Pray for Me. This little ballad  reminds me of Bob Dylan style storytelling.  

American Fool 1982 - If you hadn't heard about John Cougar by 1982, you did by the end of it.  My
top song from this album is the radio hit teenage anthem Jack & Diane.  What American mid-western teen boy didn't want to do his best James Dean while dreaming of running off to the city with his girl?  But, ya know, life goes on long after the thrill of livin' is gone.  

Uh-HUH! 1983 - You ever hear of the sophomore slump?  John Cougar Mellencamp hasn't.  Uh-Huh! lived up to any and every expectation that was set after the breakthrough success of American Fool.  It was a little more grown up.  He had a little more to say.  And he got in our faces to tell us all about it. My top song on this rockin' album is Authority Song.  "I call up my preacher,  I say 'Give me strength for round five,' He said 'You don't need no strength you need to grow up son.'"  Yep, there you go.  We always come out grinnin'.  

Scarecrow 1985 -  Farm Aid, the mega concert to raise aid for farmers in America, was organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp.  The Scarecrow album symbolized the concern of the crisis of the middle American farmer and a deeper crisis rising in the United States.  Scarecrow smashes that message and Mellencamp takes one more step on his musical career.  There are so many candidates for top song on this masterpiece super album with Rain on the Scarecrow, Small Town, Minutes to Memories, Lonely Ol' Night, Runbleseat and today's 4th of July anthem R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A (A Salute to 60's Rock), but the sleeper top song here is Justice an Independence '85.  Just listen to this masterpiece.  You might just shed a tear and shake your head when you listen today, but don't forget to let it all go and dance it all away!  Ross Hollebon and I break this album down on his podcast, the Album Cockpit Podcast.  Check it out right here. 

The Lonesome Jubilee 1987 - John returns home with this album as he reminisces on Indiana living.  He doesn't lose the social commentary on a few songs, but this album really returns to home.  The top song for me on this record is Cherry Bomb.  Sit back, close your eyes and think of growing up and maybe main street of you hometown when you put the needle down on this LP.  

Big Daddy 1989 - While my attention started turning to something a little harder in 1989 like Guns and Roses Paradise City, John Mellencamp doubled down on the hometown feel in this album and he brought me right back down to Earth.  It isn't my top song, but Big Daddy of Them All sets the tone of this album.  It tells you to "sit down son and listen to the Big Daddy of them all."  My top song however draws us to the end of the album when it is time to let lose a little bit and have some fun.  "Hanging from a pine tree by my knees, Sun shinin' through the shade, Nobody knows what it's all about, It's too much man, let it all hang out."  That's it!!  The top song...Let It All Hang Out!  

How about one more album, because this list could go on for a very long time...

Whenever We Wanted 1991 - With new decade comes a new feel.  It is still quintessential John Mellencamp but with a bit of an edge.  Do you like a little bit of hard electric guitar?  Maybe a solid drum set? Raw lyrics?  This is your album.  My top song from Whenever We Wanted has a sassy guitar with a driving beat and one might be able to say they want more cowbell when listening to I Ain't Ever Satisfied.  

This is just the start for John Mellencamp.  Maybe we can explore the 2/3 left of his works another day.  

In Search of Mellencamp

"The north garden would be on that side," I mentioned pointing to the left of the building in front of us as we were facing east.  "I have a really good sense of direction,"  I bragged.  Our search for John Mellencamp was nearing a conclusion or so we thought. 

  
On a recent trip to Indiana, I joined my good friends Ross, host of the Album Cockpit Podcast, and Monica on a trip to Bloomington, Indiana in search of the John Mellencamp statue on the campus of Indiana University.  

Two years ago Ross, Monica, my youngest daughter, Kelsey and I made a trip to Seymour, Indiana to explore the hometown of John Mellencamp.  It was a marvelous and enlightening trip as we ate lunch at a downtown diner that John used to visit.  It didn't appear that one thing had changed in that diner since the early 1970s when John would have come there with his friends.  We strolled up and down the streets of Seymour and stopped in to a music shop where several gentlemen were standing around visiting.  The shop was rich in Mellencamp memorabilia that you wouldn't find anywhere else, but the real treasure were the stories the gentlemen told us of John and his family.  It was amazing.  You can hear our recap and breakdown of John Cougar Mellencamp's album on the Album Cockpit Podcast right here. 

So, Ross, Monica and I (no daughter this year) set off to Bloomington and the campus of IU.  It was a hot, sweltering 4th of July morning, and as we arrived it became quickly apparent that the town was packed full of people for a 4th of July parade.  It was a scene of  small town Americana that
definitely gave me the feel of many of John's songs.  We made our way through town, found an open donut shop and took some time for a bit of morning sweets and conversation.  Then it was off to campus in search of Mellencamp.  

It didn't take long to get there as it was only two blocks from the donut shop.  When we stepped onto campus, the entire scenery changed as we went from college town to grand stone buildings of learning placed among park-like trees and grassy spaces.  The campus also has settled onto a hilly landscape which added to the quaint feel.  After a few lefts and rights, up and down stairs through gardens, then the north garden, we came across the statue.  What a sight it was to see the representation of our favorite rock-n-roll star, ready to strike a chord right there in the garden.  We admired the work, took some pictures, Monica placed a floral decoration, we fist bumped to our discovery and moved on, mission accomplished

As we made our way back to town, pleased with our accomplishment, we made a wonderful discovery that continued the adventure!  A sandwich-board sign was placed out in front of a storefront that advertised the art of John Mellencamp!!  Did we stop?  You bet we did, and boy did we discover Mellencamp!  We opened the door of Clash Art Gallery to find an exhibit of Mellencamp's art.  Popping out from the back room of the gallery was talented artist, curator and owner of the gallery, Jennifer Mujezinovic to greet us on this 4th of July.  She shared stories about Mellencamp and how his art came to her gallery which boils down to this: he came in and asked.  Her stories drew a picture of Mellencamp as a person with hopes, worries, excitement just like the rest of us.  This visit was a treasure of art and story.  What a joy!  I was left buzzing all the way back to Indianapolis.  

Like our previous search for Mellencamp in Seymour, the adventure was filled with visual discovery, but the real treasure were the personal stories of our musical hero.  

Friday Favorites: Top 5 Concerts

I was asked to speak to the History of Rock class at our school to discuss a concert experience I had experienced.  I don't think the teacher, a good friend, had any idea how happy this made me as I love to talk about live music.  It got me thinking of all the concerts I had been to in my life.  I started by creating a list of as many of the concerts I could remember, and it became quite apparent which concert I would talk about.  But in the list making process, I thought it would be fun to create a top 5 concerts.  So here it is, with the top concert being the experience I would share with the class.  

5. The Kinks, Holiday Star Theater, Merriville, Indiana  1988

    My best friend in high school and I took made the trip to Merriville, Indiana to see The Kinks on a
Sunday night in 1988.  We enjoyed a powerful set from the Kinks, but we left something in that theather forever...a part of our hearing.  It was the loudest concert I have ever attended.  We couldn't talk to each other the entire way home, because nothing could be heard.  The next day at school we both experienced ringing in our ears.  Was it worth it?  At the time, absolutely it was worth it, check out the playlist of current songs and classics.  It was an amazing concert, but in hindsight, maybe some ear plugs would have been appropriate.  

4. The Eagles - Riverport Ampitheater, Maryland Heights, Missouri 1994

   

Any time you see a mega band like The Eagles, you are going to be in for a treat, because all of these band members went on to have incredibly successful solo careers.  At this concert, we weren't only treated to some of the best songs of The Eagles, but we got solo performances from Joe Walsh, Don Henley, and Glen Frey.  I will never hear Rocky Mountain Way in the same way when I hear it on the radio.  It was such a powerful performance.  The Eagles didn't disappoint with only one encore, they pounded out three encoure performances finishing with Take it Easy.  

3. Dave Matthews Band - Farm Aid, New World Music Theater, Tinley Park, Illinois 1997

    I have seen the Dave Matthews Band three times (once at FarmAid) and every time (not including Farm Aid) the audio mixing was disappointing.  I mean, disappointing to the point of almost leaving during one of the concerts.  The main guitar was so high on some songs that the bass and drums were almost not heard from where we were sitting.  But, Dave Matthews and band knocked it out of the park at their brief performance at Farm Aid.  I have no idea why this performance, mixing-wise, was so much better than the others, but I am thankful it was, because it makes it my third favorite concert experience. 

2. John Mellencamp - Rosemont Theater, Rosemont, Illinois 1997

     John Cougar Mellencamp puts on incredible shows with hard rocking music.  It is clear that he was a rocker growing up and living out his dream in this show.  It was a raucous concert with loud rock and roll with Scarecrow, Pink Houses, Cherry Bomb and he kicked off the encoure with R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A!  There was only one respite in the entire concert when he played Jackie Brown and concluded with

Check It Out which we all needed to come back to Earth after this non-stop musical experience.  

1. The Grateful Dead - Alpine Valley, East Troy, Wisconsin  1989

    I have my brother to thank for taking a risk on bringing me along for the ride of a Grateful Dead concert experience.  I am still amazed that I was able to see the Grateful Dead live in 1989 in Wisconsin.  When I think about the music of this concert, I will never forget the opening cords of the first song, Hell in Bucket, but the rest of the concert resonates in my head as just a Grateful Dead sound.  I don't have any particular memories of any other song except for Mexicali Blues in the first set.  Besides the musical experience, the Deadheads left quite an impression on me as I remember in the "market" area one man selling jars of absolutely nothing for ten dollars.  How could I forget the man skipping through the crowd tossing out Fruit Stripes gum to all of us.  This entire experience along with the iconic band and Jerry Garcia make it my number one concert experience.  

How about you?  What are your top concert experiences?  I could easily finish out a top 10, so let me know if you would like to see that, but I definitely would like to see your top shows and maybe even your favorite places to see a live show.  Leave a comment here or on Twitter and tag me @draftline